Spurs made a stuttering start to the season but have now won four of their last five fixtures. The visitors can consider themselves unfortunate not to have defeated Lazio at White Hart Lane in their first group game of this competition and Villas-Boas’ side can be backed at 27/25 (2.08) with PanBet to pick up all three points here.

Panathinaikos brushed aside British opposition in the shape of Scottish Premier League club Motherwell in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

They eventually parachuted into the Europa League after suffering defeat at the hands of Malaga but this looks likely to be a tougher test for Jesualdo Ferreira’s side, who have endured a difficult start to their domestic campaign.

Panathinaikos have garnered just four points from their first five league matches and, as a result of their patchy form, they can be backed at 14/5 (3.80) with PanBet to shrug off the disappointment of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Maribor in the last round of fixtures with victory here. The draw is chalked up at 51/20 (3.55) with PanBet.

Villas-Boas’ team selection against Lazio featured some squad rotation but it was, nevertheless, a fundamentally strong starting line-up.

That suggests that the Portuguese manager intends to treat this competition more seriously than predecessor Harry Redknapp did and, should Villas-Boas field a strong side here, Spurs look to represent outstanding value against the out-of-sorts Greek side.

The 47/20 (3.35) quote from PanBet for Spurs to lead at half time and full time carries considerable appeal as Spurs appear to have found their scoring touch of late, having netted three times in three of their last five matches.

PanBet go 89/100 (1.89) that Spurs score in the first half and should the Lilywhites replicate the kind of fast start that they made against Manchester United at the weekend, that price is worthy of consideration.

Spurs have kept just two clean sheets this season but displayed defensive stability in Saturday's win at Old Trafford which should stand them in good stead on Thursday night and those seeking value will be tempted by PanBet’s 63/20 (4.15) quote for the Lilywhites to win to nil here.

Willie Duncan is a freelance sports journalist. Willie, from Edinburgh, has covered Scottish football for over 10 years and he specialises in football betting markets from across Europe. You can also follow Willie on Twitter